Application of multifractal modeling technique in systematic geochemical stream sediment survey to identify copper anomalies: A case study from Ahar, Azarbaijan, Northwest Iran

Abstract

This research is based on the application of stream sediments to mineral exploration. Identifying the geochemical anomalies from background is a fundamental task in exploration geochemistry. This paper applied the element concentration-area (C-A) model, to separating the geochemical anomalies from background based on a fractal approach and for the compilation of geochemical mapping from stream sediment samples (n= 620) of the Ahar region (Iran), where some Cu mineralization occurs. Comparisons of the known copper occurrences against the anomalous area created using thresholds from C-A method illustrate these hits. All of known Cu mineralizations and moreover defines two extra Cu anomaly districts. Additional sampling (n= 186) around new Cu anomaly confirms this anomaly within the district. © 2011 Elsevier GmbH.